When I first started pulling the old flower heads off, I noticed seeds were popping out before I even detached them from the stems. Then I tried holding this sea shell underneath and ‘pouring the seeds into it.’ The short video shows how delighted I was with the results.
A small pile of seeds using my pocket knife as a reference.
These seeds are TINY.
A few seeds on the knife blade show how small they are.
To plant, just throw some seeds into one of these planting kits. We start planting under “Grow-Lux” fluorescent lights in February or March. The four squares on the left are Hypericum, pollinated by our bees the previous year and planted from that very fine seed. If your winters aren’t too cold, you can scatter some seeds in some bare ground and see if they come up. If they grow, you’ll enjoy watching all the bees go crazy on the flowers. Note: I’ve been calling this plant a Hidcote Hypericum, but I just read that Hidcote is considered a hybrid, so I could be wrong.
Adventures in Natural Beekeeping 
That’s real useful, thank you, will share. We have hypericum in the garden but it is the smaller version. It self sows every year and grows all over the place, lovely flowers too, I never realised it attracted the bees so much, that is good and has me decided to let hypericum grow abundantly. Your large flowers here are called rose of sharron, it sometimes grows wild in Ireland though those plants may be garden escapes. Great video!
This bush type Hypericum is not to be confused with the low creeping St. John’s Wort. (I believe that’s called hypericum calycinum) on which I’ve never seen a single bee.) The hypericum Rose of Sharon is St. John’s Wort too, but it might be the low growing kind. Have you ever seen bees on yours?
I’ve never seen a bee yet on my Hypericum but I am only growing it recently, just acquired some more seeds for next summer, will keep an eye on the bees and flowers of this plant.
Love your video with the bees on the Hypericum! They are really going wild for it. The only flowers I have seen attract bees as much as that are the poppies in full summer. Coincidently, I thought of the poppy heads bursting with seeds when I saw you empting the Hypericum seed pods. I’ve still never seen a bee on my Hypericum, I must go and compare the flower head with your flowers. Amelia
Funny that you mentioned poppies. When we first tried to ID this largish bush that my mother-in-law gave us, a friend stopped by and insisted it was a Island Bush Poppy (Dendromecon). It took awhile to realize that my flowers had 5 petals instead of 4 that the Dendromecon has. It’s possible it’s not Hidcote Hypericum which is why I’m sending you a big bunch of seeds. 🙂 YOU can figure it out. I bet it will grow in France under your TLC. 🙂 I’d love to see the bees going crazy on it there like they do here.
I love your page and I am planting a bunch of stuff for my bees for next season. I’d love a little pinch of those Hypericum seeds. Please email me and let me know what I’d owe you for some. Thank you and good luck! rodriguezbruce@aol.com
Thanks for asking. I’d love for you to try some out. I’ll contact your email address and get your snail mail address. My requirements…Send me a photo of bees pollinating the flowers. I’d like to post a bunch of ‘successes.’😀
Hey Pat! Got the seeds today and you weren’t kidding. They are tiny. Can’t wait to start them in the spring. Definitely will send pictures. Gonna be reserving packages soon and then hope to requeen with swarm queens or Northern survivors if I can find them. Thank you again!
Hallo Pat, I found Hypericum twigs in the ditch betweem our place and the neighbour, Willem, also one survivor twig in the greenhouse pushing through nettels and 7-leaf plant. I tansplanted those to my first won-back bit of garden but until next summer I will not know if bees like this plant or not. If not, I too would be delighted with some of those itsy bitsy seeds from your garden. Blessings and good health to you and yours this Christmas season and in 2016.
I’d love to send you some this year as it takes a couple of years to get them to the point where they will bloom. After that, there’s very little care involved. I don’t water at all…just watch the bees go crazy on ’em.
LOVED this video! It’s just liked you described, with the seeds falling out into the shell! I’m excited for my new backyard “adventures” in gardening. Thanks so much!
Thanks for the comment, Tamsuzanne. The plant that Sue gave you will be flowering soon, (maybe next year), then you can spread the joy yourself. We are going to want to see your garden sometime…hint, hint. 🙂